Berlin Airlift
베를린 공수
The Berlin Airlift was the operation through which the Western Allies supplied food, fuel, and other necessities to West Berlin by air during the Soviet blockade. From June 1948 to September 1949, more than 278,000 flights delivered over 2.3 million tons of supplies, sustaining the city's population.
In depth
Operation and scale
After ground routes were blocked, the Western Allies used three established air corridors to bring supplies into Berlin. The U.S. Operation Vittles and the British Operation Plain Fare formed the core of the effort, with Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, and South African personnel also serving with the RAF. Coal made up a large share of the cargo, alongside food, medicine, fuel, and materials for airport construction.
The airlift continued until 30 September even after the blockade was lifted in May 1949. It was both a supply network that sustained West Berlin's population and a symbol of the early Cold War confrontation over the political and economic order of postwar Germany and Europe.
Related historical events
Sources
- Wikipedia (EN) (supports the airlift's dates, purpose, logistics, 278,228 flights, and approximately 2.3 million tons delivered)
- Wikipedia (RU) (supports the operation's Russian-language description, supply system, participants, and 1948–1949 chronology)
- war.gov (U.S. Department of War source, supports the scale of more than 2.3 million tons and more than 278,000 flights)